Following great tradition started by two wonderful bloggers, Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) and Portia (Australian Perfume Junkies), once a week I or one of the guest writers will keep the lights on in this virtual leaving room, but I hope that you, my friends and readers, will engage in conversation not only with me or the other host, but also with each other.
Saturday Question #25:
Is it Ever Too Hot To Wear Perfume?
There are perfumes we choose to wear in winter. There are perfumes that suit summer heat better. Sometimes we like to mix it up and wear crisp citruses in the dead of winter or heavy orientals in the dog days of summer. But for you personally: is it ever too hot to wear perfume?
My Answer
I rarely skip wearing (or at least testing) perfumes because of any reason. Maybe if I’m not feeling well. Or sometimes I might be too busy to apply perfume in the morning – but I’ll still get to it later in the day. But until recently I would have probably answered to this Saturday Question: No, heat influences my perfume choice but not my desire to wear it or not.
We had heatwaves in previous years. I wore perfumes during my trips to Hawaii, New Orleans and other hot places. But today, working from home after a very warm night, while the peak temperature outside reached 38 C / 100 F, I realized that I didn’t feel like applying any perfume in any form or amount. It was just too unpleasant – even though it was relatively nice inside because we’re lucky to have an A/C (not something usual in place where we live since we rarely have temperatures that require any aids in cooling our homes), and because we were double-lucky because we weren’t affected by power outage or state’s imposed rolling blackouts. And I’m happy to report that it has never got to 24 C in the closet where I store my perfumes (I have a thermometer that monitors temperature on the shelves).
It was still 31 C / 88 F outside at 9 in the evening when we went for a walk. Before going out, I put on Atelier Cologne Jasmin Angélique (from a sample – I’m still trying to decide if I want to get any). It didn’t feel right, so I might skip wearing perfume tomorrow if it doesn’t cool off. How about you?
Is it Ever Too Hot To Wear Perfume?
Undina's Looking Glass 
We never have those kind of temperatures, so I don’t have real an answer to that. 31 degrees at night 😱😱😱 sounds horrible. It’s pretty warm here at the moment, but nowhere near a real heatwave, not even by danish standards.
Since my summery perfumes are more in the sun oil category; Tiara, monoi flowers, ylang-ylang, I think I could possibly wear perfume in hot weather, since it would remind me of sun lotion.
I hope it cool down soon
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It usually isn’t that hot here as well, and that temperature at night is, thankfully, very rare. I hope it will be better tonight (though now it’s already +32 C – and it’s not even the hottest time of the day yet).
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Yes. We’ve had another record-breaking heatwave and I think that the humidity that came with it made me not want to wear any perfume. Just spritzes of plain eau de cologne. I’ve never not wanted to wear fragrance because of the weather before ……
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I also don’t remember that happening to me before. But usually during those previous heat waves I was either working in an industrially A/C’d office or on a vacation. Somehow the current situation makes it worse.
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Usually I can wear something, cologne or body spray, but having low perfume mojo due to corona I’ve had quite a few days where I just didn’t care enough to wear anything. Usually in times of stress I can’t handle any more distractions, even normally positive ones.
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I kept strong through these months of … well, everything, but this heatwave is just too much: I want it to be 10 degrees less for me to comfortably wear any perfume.
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With a run of days with temps around 35 degrees (over now thankfully) it’s been too hot for me to wear perfume. If on holiday it would okay in the evenings but here our houses are made to hold the heat and it’s just grim. Perhaps I should invest in an eau de cologne with climate change.
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That was exactly how I felt! I could stand it if it was a leisure time somewhere in Hawaii. But to struggle through this heat and have to be productive… Nope, too much.
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Living near the equator, I can tell you that perfume wearing can sometimes be a challenge. I wear perfume daily no matter what the temperature, but typically anything with vanilla, amber or oud is out of the question. Citrus and light florals and EDCs seem to be the key. I have found that wearing the wrong perfume on a hot and humid day can be nauseating.
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I was thinking of you when I was writing this post: I’m not sure I could stand that type of weather year round. It’s hard even when I go to Hawaii in warmer years. But if I were to live there, I would have figured out which perfumes to wear.
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My husband loves strong perfumes and heavy perfumes. He sometimes sprays something on and between the heat, humidity and the heavy air, I just have to grit my teeth and tell him he smells great. LOL. And thanks of thinking of me :)
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I’m sure you both smell fabulous, heat or no heat :)
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Lately it has been well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit here, daily, with very high humidity. I think it’s the high humidity more than the temperature that sometimes makes me uninterested in wearing fragrance some days. OTOH, there are some that I find wear beautifully in muggy heat, like Un Jardin Sur le Nil.
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Yes, I also think that humidity is the biggest culprit.
It’s an interesting idea about Un Jardin Sur le Nil: I think I still have some left in my bottle, so maybe it’ll work for our weather as well.
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I wore that yesterday, and it was lovely in the heat.
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I’d still rather smell perfume than the other scents that come with high heat and humidity, but stay away from anything too heavy or artificial.
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True. Staying at home helps with “foreign” smells though :)
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Yes, this week! See Tara above. ;)
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:)
I wonder what does Truffle think about the weather?
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There are points in Sydney summer Undina that are very hot and sweaty. There is often a favourite white floral or citrus cheapy in the fridge for that ultra cooling spritz. The scents usually burn off within 30 minutes or so and the cooling relief is immense.
I also quite like to go the there way and wear Amouage Ubar or an oudh. They blossom in beautiful and unexpected ways in full heat.
Portia xx
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there way = the other way
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Last couple of summers I was keeping Jo Loves No. 42 The Flower Shop in the fridge and used it the way you described. I should put it there right now – thank you for the idea :)
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Welcome. Glad to be of service.
Portia xx
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No, it’s been 36 celsius here a few days earlier this summer and I still wear perfume. I hate the heat. It makes me sweat like a horse, but I’ve found that especially rose perfumes and woody fragrances smell really great in the heat.
But ,too much heat and especially humidity is very tough on white florals, in my experience. They wilt or turn rather sour on my skin in excessive heat. Citruses usually survive well and are quite cooling.
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I hate heat. I hate cold as well, but lets talk about it when/if I experience it, which I usually manage to avoid ;)
Vanilla works well for me in hot and humid environment. But I would really want it to be at least 5-7 degrees lower.
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Good question. It’s usually hot in Texas so waiting for nice weather for perfume would be silly. I used to try to wear “summery” scents on the hottest days but they didn’t really work for me. Now I usually go for a richer floral or oriental with some heft and just use a light hand.
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Whenever I get upset about our weather (which doesn’t happen too often), I check weather in Austin where our friends live and immediately feel better ;)
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Nope, never too hot. My problem though is that because of all the mosquitos at the seaside, I only wore Autan. 🤣
The tropical one actually smells ok.
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What is Autan? Is it some type of a repellent?
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Yes, a repellent, very famous brand but obviously only in Europe. 😁
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Once it’s over 40c I rarely wear it. If I have one of those pour it on scents I might.. but anything else it feels like a waste because it evaporates. Last summer I wore Lush’s Dirty because the drydown remains and the top notes refresh. But even so I was cautious as I don’t want to use up a whole bottle trying to get the scent. One option i enjoy is to use a body product, The Body Shop’s varying coconut creams are great in the heat.
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Over what?!! 40? (faints)
With that temperature I’m not sure I would have worn clothes, let alone perfume :)
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OH I just remembered I spent a few summers in Byblos which is a great watery rose. It worked very well!
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Hot weather makes me want to wear citrus perfumes or other light colognes, never no desire. Also, No.5 L’Eau works very well in the heat.
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Ok, I give up: I must try No 5 l’Eau: if you like it so much, I don’t believe I won’t like it – maybe I haven’t tried it because the regular No 5 doesn’t work for me? :)
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